Method of rolling wheel rims



Dec. 18, 1928. 1,695,531

E. G. BVUDD METHOD OF ROLLING WHEEL RIMS Filed April 6, 1925 INVENTORY B Eon/aka 6.8000.

Y 4/1/47 WTTORNE Y.

Patented Dec. 18, 1928.

I UNITED STATES 1,695,531 PAT NT OFFICE,

EDWARD G. BUDD, OF PHILADELIPHIA, PENNSYLVAN-IL' ASSIGNOR TO BUDD WHEEL COMPANY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, CORPORATION- OF PENNSYL- nnriron or ROLLING wnEEn arias;

VAN-IA.

Application filedApril 6, 1925. Serial No. 20,980.

My invention relates to method of rolling vehicle wheel rims of the type commonly used upon motor vehicle of today, such as automobiles, motor trucks, busses, etc. But .it may have a appear. Rims for this class of vehicles very commonly embody a'fiange at an angle to the body of the rimi. These flanges whenever they whenever they are deep, have been found difficult to hot roll in one operation, if not impossible, under conditions approaching extreme orlimiting conditions. This is by reason of the fact that it has not been feasible with known rolling apparatus to effect the necessary flow ofthe metal at a sharp angle or to the depth desiredwithout causing Weaknesses or undesirable irregularities in the product formed. "Yet if maximum strength is to l be entirely avoided.

It is the prime object of my inventionto evolve a method of rolling which will admit of hot rolling-in all instances of this character irrespective of the degree of sharpness of the flange or'the extent of its depth.

According tothe method of my invention,

I hot roll both the body of the rim and its flange, but hot roll the base of the flange only to its final angle, and thereafter while retaining the base of the flange at this established angle, to prevent the distortion thereof, 1 form the upper or remaining portion of the flange'toits final angle. Thereby I am .able to hot roll all of the critical sections of the rim including the'apex of the angle between the body of the'rim andthe flange, irrespectiveofthe shar ness of the angle or of the point which may e concerned. fterward the subsequent. forming of the remaining portion of the flange to its final angle may be done by any acceptable process, hot or cold, since the bend then made in the metal is made at a noncritical point on the angle.- I

The single figure of the drawings illustrates the carrying out of the method of my invention. It depicts in transverse'cross section a Wider range of adaptati n as will are at a sharp upstanding angle, or.

be maintained at critical points such as at the apexes of the angles, or on sharp bends below the body 10 and constituting, when the rim is completely formed, what is commonly termed the gutter. This gutter is nothing more than a groove 13 which is to receive the locking ring for the detachable tire which the rim carries. This locking ring confines in position the removable flange of the wheel, both elements being so well known they are not shown here.

On the opposite side the rim 10 is provided with an upstanding fixed flange 14, like the gutter formed integrally with it. All the parts are shown in full lines as rolled according to the-first step of my invention and in dotted lines as rolled according to the 2nd step of my invention. According to the first step, both the base 15 of flange 12, and the base 16 of the flange 14, are formed substantially at a final an le with respect to the main body 10, as shownby the full lines and the dotted lines which grow out of them. The remaining or upper portions 17 and 18, however, as shown in full lines, are formedat a less angle than the final angle. This is all done by hot rolling and at such angles that the desired flow of metal and depth of the formed parts can be" readily achieved by apparatus known at the present time. This insures the critical sections at the sharp angles and bends 15 and 16 formed to its final position or angle with re.- spect to the base as indicated by the dotted.

lines. This forming consists in bending the section of the temporary angle or bend 19 or 20 intermediate the bottom and the top of the flange. This forming is preferably constituted a cold forming operation, sincethe bend at these temporarily formed bends of the section is not at a critical bend, being removed some dlstance from the bottom extrem-' ity where the critical strains occur. A slight reduction of section or even a slight crystallization at such point removed from the critiv While I have illustrated my invention as' applying to both the utter flange 12 and the side flange 14, it is 0% especial adaptation to the forming of side flanges such as 14. The gutter flanges are not ordinarily of such angle or such depth as to give special difliculty in rolling. v

I am aware that it has heretofore been proposed to hot roll a flange. by a first step part way toward its final angle, and to subsequently form the flange up toward its final angle, but it will be observed that my invention is not this, but improves-upon this-old method in the following important respect; that the base portion of the flange is according to the first step of my invention hot rolled to its final angle, and that the subsequent step does not involve the bending of this finally formed portion of the flange, but only the bending of the remainder, and that this bending is at the point substantially removed from the bottom of the flange.

I have described but one form of my invention. Without doubt it is capable of modifications and such modifications should fall within the purview of the annexed claims.

What I claim is:

1. The method of forming vehicle wheel rims having an upturned flange which consists in hot rolling the rim and the flange with the base of the flan e only at a substantially final angle but wit the top portion of the flange at an angle slightly less than the final angle, and thereafter cold rolling the top of the flange to its final angle.

2. The method of formingvehicle wheel rims having an upstanding flange which consists in first hot rolling the rim and its flange with the base portion of the flange at its final angle, and thereafter while positively retaining the base portion of the flange at the final angle, cold bending the top portion of the flange to its final angle.

3. The method of rolling automobile wheel rims having inte ral tire retaining and gut ter flanges whic consist in sub ecting the blank to a hot rolling pass in which the roots,

of the flanges are formed to the final relative angle as respects the body of the rim, while the margins of the flanges are formed at improper angles and both in eneral lateral extension of the cross section 0 the main body of the rim, and thereafter cold bending margins of the flanges to their proper angles without disturbing the roots thereof.

4. The method of making automobile wheel rims which consist in subjectin the rim stock to a hot rollingpass in which t ere is formed the root of a rim retaining flange at substantially the final angle with res ect to the body of the rim, but for a depth re atively small. as compared with the total depth of the completed flange, and in which the remaining portion of the flange is formed as nearly as practicable in general transverse alignment with the main body of the rim, and thereafter cold bending the remainder of the flange to its final angle without disturbing the hot formed root of the flan e.

In testimony whereo I hereunto aflix my signature. I

EDWARD G. BUDD. 

